THE care of residents at Achvarasdal House near Reay, continues to "spiral downwards" as it faces uncertainty over its future. So says a relative of a resident at the home who claims families are being "kept in the dark" about what is happening.

A HIGHLAND Council roads officer has insisted there is no danger of the old A9 at Dunbeath collapsing after the appearance of cracking at its edge. Graham Mackenzie rushed to make sure the area was safe, when he got a call from villager Neil Buchanan about the problem last week but on looking closely at it, he thinks it is a localised failure and is not anything to worry too much about.

FIFTY jobs at a Caithness care provider are under threat after its contract was terminated by NHS Highland. Thurso-based White Heather Home Care is set to lose 80 per cent of its client base after the health authority was unable to receive assurances it had sought about the company's financial position.

THE £315 million CityDeal has been hailed as an opportunity to keep young people living, working and studying in the Highlands. More than £21 million has been released for three projects with more in the pipeline following the signing of the deal in Inverngordon on Monday.

A CAITHNESS councillor has criticised the controversial universal credit system which has impacted on people on benefits and left the local authorfity with a debt of £700,000 Thurso Highland councillor, Donnie Mackay, hit out this week after it emerged that every tenant of homelsss accommodation in the Highlands has been plunged into debt by the rollout of the new benefits system.

EDUCATION bosses have promised more consultation with parents on controversial plans to reduce the number of head teachers in Highland but will only go back to the parents who complained the most. In what has been deemed an "X-factor" decision, education chairman Drew Millar, said he will postpone plans to have one head teacher looking after multiple schools to allow for more consultation with parents and teachers but will only do so for two high schools, Farr and Mallaig and their associated primary schools.

A CLERGYMAN has used his position on a council education committee to criticise the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools. Alexander MacLean, a member of the the Free Presyterian Church of Scotland also suggested that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people are bullied because they are "overt" and attract attention.

FOUR conservation charities have called on Highlaand Council to maintain its ranger services which are under threat as a result of budget cuts. RSPB Scotland National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Wildlife Trust and John Muir Trust have joined forces to highlight the importance of the countryside rangers to Highland communities, schools and the region's tourism businesses.